


Magic and Myth

by books4belle



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Crushes, Eventual Relationships, F/F, F/M, Femslash, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-26
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-01-26 13:38:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1690265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/books4belle/pseuds/books4belle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reyna, Thalia, Annabeth and Percy are in their 6th year at Hogwarts and they have a lot on their minds. From coursework and classes, to quidditch and crushes.</p><p>*** I've changed this from being a series into one work with multiple chapters. Sorry for any confusion!***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyna and Thalia stay up late studying in the library. But where are Percy and Annabeth?

“Why are we doing this?” Thalia whined, throwing her head down on the desk.

Reyna ignored the dramatics; she was pretty used to it by now. “So we can be ready for the Arithmancy exam tomorrow,” she answered evenly, not looking up from the book in front of her.

“No,” Thalia sighed, sitting up and placing her head in her hands. “Why are we taking eight NEWTs?”

“Because no one ever has. We’re making history.”

“I’m beginning to think there’s a reason for that.” Thalia reached down to pick up the book she had thrown aside in frustration. She barely had it open again when she dropped it on to the desk, exclaiming, “And where is Annabeth!? She’s supposed to help us with this! It was her idea to take this stupid class in the first place.”

“Dunno. Percy was supposed to be here too.” Reyna shrugged, turning wearily from her books and looking over at her dearest friend. Thalia had little patience for subjects that didn’t involve a wand. She smiled and shook her head as she continued, “If you keep up all that noise, Madame Harpie is going to kick us out and we’ll be in real trouble for tomorrow.”

Thalia huffed, but returned to her book. Reyna’s gaze may have lingered on Thalia’s profile for just a moment or two, then she shook herself and went back to studying. They worked solidly for another hour, occasionally consulting with each other on a particularly thorny problem. Technically it was after hours, but the four of them had special permission from Headmaster Chiron to study in the library until midnight. 

For as long as Reyna could remember, she, Thalia, Percy and Annabeth had been the exception to the rule. Four wizards, each from a different house and each with exceptional talent and magical aptitude. In the beginning, they had been competitive. Every test, every essay was a chance to rise above the others. 

But at some point in their third year, Percy realized that all this competition was actually holding them back. “Look,” he explained, “We’re all good at different subjects. If we keep arguing, we’ll end up being really good at a few things, and lousy at the others.” 

“But if we work together,” Annabeth continued, picking up the theme, “We can keep building on our strengths and help each other overcome our weaknesses.” 

“We’ll be invincible! The most brilliant students to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts.” Thalia crowed, her infectious laughter ringing through the corridors.

So they each selected their best subjects and then all got down to work. Along the way they became the closest of friends. 

To the surprise of absolutely no one, they sailed through their OWLs, receiving Os and Es in every subject. The surprise came at the start of sixth year when they proposed adding Alchemy to their already full slate of NEWT level courses. The heads of house were understandably concerned, but the Headmaster gave his consent.

So here they were. Going for NEWTS in Alchemy, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration. Trying not to lose their minds or kill each other in the process. It was a noble goal at any rate.

At midnight, the girls helped Madame Harpie put away the volumes they’d been studying from and headed back to the dorms. Thalia’s usual cheerfulness had returned and she was filling Reyna in on all the gossip. Apparently, a seventh-year boy had approached Thalia’s roommate Zoë in the Slytherin common room and asked her to go to Hogsmeade. She’d turned him down and when he pressed the issue, she cursed him with a pig snout. 

“Honestly,” Thalia remarked, “Anyone with half a brain knows that Zoë is only interested in girls. She’s been pining after Artemis for months now.”

“So were they able to fix Ace’s nose?”

“Apparently he’s still in the hospital wing,” Thalia related, a gleeful look on her face. 

Reyna loved the way Thalia looked when she was excited; almost like she was about to start shooting off sparks. She always brought such unbridled enthusiasm to everything she did. Some people might call her moody or reckless, but Reyna appreciated her passionate nature. She wished sometimes she could just let go and throw herself into a situation like Thalia did. 

Reyna was still laughing at one of Thalia’s more colorful descriptions when she heard the noise down the hallway. “Hold up,” she muttered, motioning for Thalia to be still. “Do you hear that.?”

Both girls stopped to listen. Just as they were about to go, they heard it again: a muffled thud coming from a door on the left side of the hall. Without hesitation, Thalia whipped out her wand. 

Reyna waved her back. “I’m the prefect. I should go first in case anything goes wrong.” 

“By all means, Lady Prefect,” Thalia teased, bowing to Reyna with a flourish. 

Reyna just rolled her eyes as she knocked on the door. “After all, there could be a reasonable explanation. There’s no sense rushing in with wands blazing.”

The girls heard a whispered swear word, then a few more quiet movement noises.  
Thalia grinned. “Oh, I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation all right.” She made a crude gesture that demonstrated what she thought was going on behind the door in front of them.

Reyna couldn’t help but snicker, but she gathered her composure as she reached out and turned the door handle. 

“Hey, Reyna! Wow! I’m so glad you heard me.” Percy stepped out of the broom cupboard before Reyna could open the door fully.

“Percy?”

“Yeah! I got locked in this cupboard. I thought I heard something, but the door was stuck and when it finally opened, I fell in. The door locked behind me.”

Thalia’s look was skeptical. “Why didn’t you use a spell to unlock the door?”

“Uh, ‘cause I dropped my wand. And I couldn’t find it in the dark,” Percy blurted. 

“And why were you out of your dorm this late at night?” Reyna asked.

“I was coming to study with you guys. You know, for the arithmancy thing…”

The girls couldn’t hold it in any longer. They both dissolved into laughter. Thalia was doubled over. Reyna took one look at Percy’s confused face and started in all over again. 

“What the hell is so funny?”

“Percy…” Thalia gasped, trying to speak between giggles. “ Your… tie…” 

Percy looked down, noticing for the first time that the striped tie on his chest was not yellow and black, but blue and bronze. He just shook his head looking sheepish as the girls howled with laughter. 

“So, ah,” Reyna quipped as she struggled to regain control of her expression. “Is there anyone else in that closet or do I need to get Professor Chiron to come down and investigate a broom closet that locks people up and changes their ties?” 

Annabeth stepped from the closet with as much dignity as she could muster, though she was blushing furiously. She slugged Percy hard on the arm. “Bubotuber brain!”

“Oww! What! It was dark!”

Thalia and Reyna cracked up all over again. As Reyna struggled to catch her breath, she saw Thalia wiping tears from her eyes. 

“So what happens now?” Annabeth asked, clearly trying to get the situation back under control. 

“Well, I should probably report this. Especially since it involves another prefect.” Reyna gave Annabeth a pointed look. “But seeing as this is a first offense… I’m willing to keep it between us.”

“Thank you,” Annabeth replied, clearly relieved. “It won’t happen again.” 

Reyna almost snorted when she saw a fleeting look of disappointment on Percy’s face. Instead she just nodded to her friends and said good night. 

As they reached the end of the hall, Reyna grabbed Thalia’s hand, pulling her around the corner to peer back down the hall. 

They couldn’t hear the conversation. It was clear that Annabeth was annoyed, given the way that she paced around, then punched Percy in the arm again. He just stood there helplessly, watching her. The first time he reached out, she swatted him away, but eventually she took his hand. Annabeth’s body language gradually softened and she let Percy pull her in for a kiss. 

Reyna was suddenly aware of how close she was to Thalia. So close, she could just barely feel Thalia’s breath against her cheek. Had Thalia noticed? Did she think it was weird? 

Annabeth and Percy kissed one more time, then broke apart, moving down the far hallway in opposite directions. Thalia straightened up and turned towards Reyna, who jumped back a little bit, anxiously wondering how Thalia felt about their recent proximity. 

Thalia didn’t mention it though. They stepped over to the stairs that led up to Gryffindor Tower and down to the Slytherin Dungeons. 

“It’s sort of weird, isn’t it?”

“What?” Reyna asked, tensing.

Thalia gestured back the way they had come. “Percy and Annabeth, y’know. Dating. I mean, they’ve been into each other for forever, but I wasn’t sure if they were ever going to do anything about it.”

Reyna nodded. “I know. I guess this sort-of changes things, with the studying and all that.”

“Yeah, we have to put up with them being all cuddly and gross while we work,” Thalia frowned. “It makes sense, though, in a way.”

“What does?”

“For them to date. I mean, the four of us are always together. It’s natural, I think, to be attracted to someone you spend so much time with.”

Reyna gulped. “Um, yeah. Makes total sense.” She hoped she wasn’t blushing too badly.

“That reminds me,” Thalia continued. “Are you thinking about dating my little brother?”

“Jason!?”

“Yeah. The two of you seem to spend a lot of time together.”

Reyna shook her head. “We’re on the quidditch team together, and he’s the fifth-year prefect, so I see him more now than I used to, but I’m not interested in him or anything.”

“Okay, good.” Thalia smiled.

“Why is that good?”

“‘Cause he’s not right for you. He’s too perfect.” Thalia cocked her head a bit, looking her up and down. Reyna struggled to keep her face composed. “You need someone that’s going to break you out of your shell every now and then. A bit of a bad boy, y’know?”

“Or a bad girl?” Reyna countered.

Thalia raised her eyebrows, her smile quirking up on the sides. “Or a bad girl if you prefer. Someone who’s willing to shake a little of that Gryffindor out of you.” 

Reyna returned Thalia’s smirk. “Well, if you think of anyone that can help, you be sure and let me know.” She playfully bumped her hip against Thalia’s before moving away towards the stairs. “See you tomorrow. Stay out of trouble.”

Thalia waved as she turned to go, the bemused expression still on her face. “Not likely! Why don’t you get *into* trouble and then we’ll be there together?”

Reyna sighed. Trouble, huh? She knew just what sort of trouble she wanted to be in with Thalia. Her friend was right; Reyna needed someone to shake her up a bit. Now she just needed to convince a certain Slytherin girl that she was the right person for the job.


	2. Girls Will be Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four friends take a well deserved study break and Reyna paints everyone's nails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in love with the idea that badass Reyna used to work at a spa. So this happened.
> 
> Much love to my amazing beta paragonbrosca.

“Ooh! They’re perfect. You’re so good at this Reyna.” Annabeth wiggled her fingers, examining the fresh layer of blue polish Reyna had applied to her nails.

Reyna reached cautiously and caught Annabeth by the wrist. “Keep still. You don’t want them to smudge.” Annabeth obligingly set her hands on the side table.

Thalia had only been vaguely aware of what the other two girls were up to, as most of her concentration was focused on losing badly to Percy at gobstones. She had just noticed a shot that would likely net her at least two points when her opponent abruptly stood and walked away.

“Oy! We’re playing a game here, in case you forgot.”

“I was playing. I’m not sure what you were doing.” Percy smirked at her over his shoulder as he crossed the lounge to join their friends.

Thalia scowled, but he clearly didn’t notice. He was too busy admiring his girlfriend. Percy sat on the loveseat next to Annabeth, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. She lifted a hand to show off her manicure.

Thalia finished gathering the pieces and tossed Percy’s game bag at him. Even from across the room, she pegged him in the side of the head with the skill of a seasoned Chaser. Percy protested loudly while the other girls laughed and applauded. She allowed herself a satisfied chuckle as she selected a velveteen armchair and pushed it over towards the group.

The four friends were taking a well deserved study break in the all-student lounge. They’d had two theory papers due that week and a practical exam in charms. But it was Friday and even Annabeth had to admit they needed a night off from the books.

Thalia plopped down on the seat of her chair, turning sharply away from the lovebirds, who were now making disgustingly cute faces at each other.

This left her looking at Reyna, who was sitting close enough to bump her knee against Thalia’s. She rolled her eyes conspiratorily and gave Thalia an amused half smile.

Thalia ignored the little flutter in her chest caused by the brief contact and looked instead at Reyna’s hands. Her nails were now a bright shade of red with metallic gold tips. Thalia had to admit they were skillfully done.

“I didn’t know you were into this stuff,” Thalia stammered, searching for something to say.

“What stuff?” Reyna replied, running a small cotton swab over a stray bit of polish.

Thalia gestured to the bottles and tools cluttered over the table. “Y’know. Girly stuff. Nails and makeup.”

“Why not?” Reyna fixed her dark gaze on Thalia.

Thalia squirmed a bit at the pointed look. “Because, um. Because you play quidditch and are good at sports and stuff.”

Reyna narrowed her eyes and frowned. “So because I play sports I can’t paint my nails?”

“Um, I mean… Not that,” Thalia stumbled helplessly. “You’re just not... silly like some of the other girls in our year. You don’t squeal at the flobberworms in class.”

“Neither do I,” Annabeth pointed out, picking the exact wrong moment to stop making eyes at Percy.

“Ugh!” Thalia buried her face in her hands. “Nevermind. I have no idea what I was trying to say. Just ignore me.”

And thankfully, they did. While Reyna applied a second coat of polish to Annabeth’s nails, the four friends chatted about exams and gossiped about the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend.

Thalia was looking forward to the trip. At first, she thought it might be strange to go without Luke. The two of them had been nearly as sickening as Percy and Annabeth all last year until he graduated. He’d unceremoniously dumped her right before the school year started, saying he needed to “pursue more mature relationships.” She’d been hurt, but Thalia wasn’t the type of girl to let anything keep her down for long. She was ready to move on and this Hogsmeade trip was a chance to prove to herself that she’d done just that.

Thalia was broken out of her thoughts when Annabeth said her name. “You know Thalia, you should have Reyna paint your nails too.”

“Me?” Thalia squeaked incredulously, shaking her head.

“Why not?” Reyna smirked. “Too ‘girly’ for you? Afraid your teammates won’t let you play Quidditch with them anymore?”

Thalia blushed, remembering how badly she’d stuck her foot in her mouth earlier.

“Come on, Thalia,” Percy laughed good-naturedly. “I’ll do it if you will.”

Thalia raised her eyebrows, glancing at Reyna who returned her surprised expression. “Oh this I have to see!”

She and Percy perused the colored bottles. Percy picked out a blue that was much brighter and more obnoxious than the shade Annabeth had selected. Thalia vaguely remembered that Percy and his mother had an inside joke about blue food.

Thalia was having trouble making a selection when Reyna made a small noise and grabbed for her makeup bag. She produced several additional bottles of polish including the one she had apparently been looking for. “I thought I still had this one! How would you feel about green sparkles?”

Thalia looked at the bottle Reyna held out and grinned. Despite her general dislike of girly things, she had a weakness for sparkles. She nodded and handed the bottle back to Reyna, who began shaking it and smiling.

Thalia set her hands tentatively on the arm of Reyna’s chair. Reyna selected a small, flat board and, picking up each of Thalia’s fingertips in turn, ran the board along the edges of her nails.

“What’s that for?” Thalia asked, her voice equal parts curiosity and nervousness.

“It helps smooth out the edges and give the nail the right shape.” Reyna answered quietly, concentrating on her task. “Just relax,” she admonished gently, giving the fingertip she was holding a small squeeze.

Thalia settled more comfortably in her chair and breathed out the tension she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The process, she had to admit, was actually quite soothing.

Reyna retrieved the bottle of polish, opened it and started spreading the green liquid on Thalia’s nails starting with her thumb.

“So why do you even have green polish, Miss Gryffindor?” Thalia teased as Reyna moved to the next nail.

“I’m pretty sure this was Hylla’s. She was a Slytherin.” Reyna hesitated for only a second, then lifted Thalia’s next fingertip.

Thalia hadn’t realized she shared a house with Reyna’s much-older sister. They didn’t talk about their families much. She knew that when Reyna was eight, her parents were killed in a magical accident. Hylla had left Hogwarts in the middle of her seventh year, returned to Puerto Rico and had given up practicing magic. They’d lived as muggles for three years until Reyna received her Hogwarts letter. Hylla had almost refused to let Reyna go to school, but Professor Chiron had convinced her.

“Well, she has good taste in nail polish,” Thalia admitted, looking down at her hands. Reyna glanced up from her task and gave her a warm smile. Thalia wasn’t sure what she’d done to earn that look, but it made her stomach flip giddily.

Sure, Thalia had always known that her friend was attractive. But lately this awareness was becoming increasingly distracting. Like the other day, when Reyna had pulled her close so they could spy on Percy and Annabeth. Or when Reyna had confirmed that she wasn’t interested in Jason. And that she was interested in girls. If Thalia hadn’t known better, she would have sworn that her closest friend was flirting with her, but that was just wishful thinking on Thalia’s part.

“There,” Reyna declared, patting the tops of Thalia’s hands gently with her fingertips. “Just stay there so the first coat can dry. You may not need a second coat, but we’ll have to see.” She turned away and focused her attention on Annabeth, who had just finished applying Percy’s polish. Apparently, they’d finally found something that their Ravenclaw friend wasn’t good at. Reyna just chuckled and retrieved a bottle of polish remover. Percy was a good sport about the whole process and in the end, proudly displayed his bright blue fingertips, splaying them comically in front of his chest.

Thalia, laughing at Percy’s ridiculous facial expressions, nearly jumped out of her skin when Reyna grasped her fingers. “Steady there!” she laughed, “I just want to see how they turned out.” Reyna scrutinized her handiwork before releasing Thalia’s hands. “Well, what do you think?”

Thalia held her hands up to her face and examined each green, sparkling digit. “You know what? They don’t look that bad,” she quipped, giving Reyna a half-smile. She ducked out of the way as the other girl swatted at her playfully.

The lights in the student lounge flickered, indicating that curfew was in 10 minutes. They all helped Reyna pack up her supplies, then headed off for the dorms: Percy and Annabeth to the west side of the castle and Reyna and Thalia to the east.

“Seriously though?” Thalia commented as they walked, “My nails look really good. Thank you.”

Reyna reached out and caught Thalia’s hand, holding it up to her face. “You clean up quite nicely,” Reyna teased playfully. Instead of releasing her, Reyna laced her fingers with Thalia’s and dropped their linked hands to swing casually between them. Thalia had to force herself to breathe normally.

“You’re very welcome.” Reyna continued, treating her to another warm smile. “I’m happy to girlify you anytime you wish.”

“I just may hold you to that.” Thalia replied, keeping her voice steady. “Especially with the Hogsmeade weekend coming up. You have any special plans?” She willed the contents of her stomach to stay exactly where they were.

Reyna shrugged, “No, nothing for me. You?”

Thalia shook her head mutely, mouth dry. “We should maybe stick together then. ‘Cause you know Percy and Annabeth will be insufferable.”

“Good plan.” Reyna squeezed her hand briefly, then released it. “Good night then. Transfiguration review in the library tomorrow?”

Thalia nodded, finding it easier to breathe suddenly. “See you there.” She turned and almost missed the first stair. Praying that Reyna hadn’t seen, she tightened her grip on the handrail and descended into the dungeons. That girl was going to be the death of her.

Damn Gryffindors and their earnest, charming ways! Clearly, Reyna had no idea her actions would have this effect. Thalia would just have to get herself under control or risk losing her best friend. Because there was simply no way that Reyna could have feelings for her. It just wasn’t possible.


	3. Sweets for the Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyna and Thalia visit Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks during their visit to Hogsmeade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait everyone! Life is catching up to me. Hoping to have at least the next chapter ready for Theyna ship week.  
> This is the last chapter of fluffy set up. Then the action begins!
> 
> As always, love to paragonbrosca, the amazing beta. (Go read her Lost Hero AU! It's amazing!

The Three Broomsticks was packed, as it always was on Hogwarts visit days. Reyna guessed that there was some magic at work, to make the pub large enough to seat all the students, while still seeming cozy enough when it was just the Hogsmeade locals. As she and Thalia looked around for a place to sit, they saw Thalia’s brother Jason sitting with his roommate Frank Zhang. The boys waved them over, offering the girls two empty seats at their table. 

Reyna knew Jason and Frank very well since they were all on the Gryffindor quidditch team together. She smiled at them, collapsing in her chair and rearranging the bags containing her purchases. Thalia ruffled her brother’s hair before she sat down next to him. Jason was clearly annoyed, running his fingers through the blond strands to carefully arrange them back in place. This puzzled Reyna, since Jason had never struck her as particularly vain. 

A server came with the butterbeers they had ordered, and Thalia stopped tormenting her brother long enough take a sip of her drink. “So boys, what have you been up to?”

“Went over to Spintwitches. Did you see the crazy broom saddle thing they had?”

Thalia laughed. “Yes! It’s ridiculous. No self-respecting quidditch player would strap herself into that contraption.”

“That must be why we saw Fletcher and Solace looking at them.” Frank smirked.

Reyna elbowed him playfully. “Now, now… Just because the Ravenclaw team is a walking embarrassment doesn’t mean we have to be rude.”

“Yeah!” Jason said defensively. “They’re not that bad!”

All of them looked at Jason as if he’d temporarily lost his mind. The Ravenclaw quidditch team hadn’t won a single game in six years. “Are you feeling okay?” Thalia joked, reaching to feel his forehead. Jason batted her hands away. 

Frank smiled knowingly. “She’s not even on the team…”

Jason shot him a murderous glare. “Shut up.” 

It didn’t take them long to figure out who Frank meant by “she.” Just across the pub at a table near the windows were three girls in Ravenclaw blue. One Reyna recognized as Annabeth’s roommate Rachel. The other two were less familiar. Both had dark hair and skin, but only one of them kept glancing over toward their table. She wore a prefect’s badge and had deep, sparkling eyes under a choppy curtain of bangs. 

Clearly, Thalia had been right to think that her brother had a crush. It just wasn’t on Reyna. 

“Well, well! Who’s the new friend?” Thalia teased.

Jason sighed, clearly resigned. “Her name is Piper. She’s in Runes with me.”

“Aww. My wittle bwother has his fuwst wittle cwush!” Thalia tried to pinch Jason’s cheek, but he caught her hand in the air. They struggled playfully as Reyna and Frank simply rolled their eyes. 

A small part of Reyna envied the closeness that Thalia and Jason shared. Hylla was almost more of a mother to Reyna than a sister. Of course, the Graces were much closer in age: only two years apart. But she knew that Thalia had been caring for Jason since they were little. 

“Mom wasn’t exactly… maternal,” Thalia had mentioned once. Apparently, after their father left to marry a younger woman, her mother June had taken up drinking. It had seriously affected her health.

By the time Thalia was 12, June had become so ill that Thalia chose to leave school for a year to take care of her family. When their mother died, Thalia and Jason were sent to live with their absentee father and the newest in a long line of stepmothers. Thalia had returned to Hogwarts with Jason in the fall and had joined Reyna’s class in their second year. 

Despite the hardships, or maybe because of them, it was clear that the Grace siblings shared a special bond. Of course, that didn’t stop them from teasing each other.

Jason managed to subdue Thalia, mostly due to the fact he was a head taller than she was.  
Their conversation switched to safer topics, starting with comparing Honeyduke’s hauls.

Reyna hadn’t intended to buy anything at the sweet shop. Though their parents hadn’t left them penniless, she and Hylla didn’t really have much to spend on treats. She’d gone with Thalia into the shop mostly to spend time with her. 

As they entered, one of the shopkeepers offered samples of a new flavor of fudge. It tasted like the hot chocolate Reyna’s father used to make: rich and creamy with just a hint of spice. 

“Not bad,” Thalia commented, licking the chocolate residue off her fingers. 

Reyna’s eyes widened. “Not bad? It’s amazing! The best I’ve had since I came here.” 

“So get some.” Thalia said, distracted by a sign advertising the new “Ancient Wizards” series of Chocolate Frog cards.

Reyna just shrugged, moving to follow her friend further into the shop. 

After Thalia made her selections, they queued up to pay. Thalia sorted through her shopping basket, making sure each item was accounted for. “Where’s your basket?” she asked, noticing Reyna’s empty hands for the first time.

Reyna shook her head. “I’m not getting anything,” she answered, trying to sound casual. 

“What about your fudge?” Thalia cocked her head, clearly confused.

“It’s alright. I don’t need any.”

They’d reached the counter and Thalia set her basket in front of the register. “This, and a half pound of the new fudge please.”

“Thalia!” Reyna began to protest, until she was silenced by a pair of stern looking blue eyes. 

Outside the shop, Thalia handed her a bag containing the fudge, three chocolate frogs and a small bag of Bertie Botts Beans. Reyna closed the bag and held it out, trying to return it to her friend. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know. I wanted to.” 

“Thalia…” 

“Look. I know.” Thalia set her hand gently on Reyna’s, the handle of the bag between them. “All of us have trouble at home. My father’s a cheating bastard, but he’s a rich cheating bastard. And since you’re my friend, you have to help me spend the guilt money he sends. Okay?”

“Okay. Thank you.” Reyna smiled and squeezed the hand Thalia had given her. She might have been imagining it, but she thought she saw a blush creep across her freckled cheeks. 

“Besides,” Thalia shifted, nudging Reyna playfully in the ribs. “Maybe you’ll stop eating all of my jellybeans if you have your own.”

Reyna made a small sound of indignation and nudged Thalia back. “Well, I never!” she gasped comically.

Thalia pushed her down the high street, laughing. “And I have first dibs on your Chocolate Frog cards!” 

“One hand giveth and the other hand taketh away.” Reyna declaimed dramatically through giggles. 

Thalia just kept shoving her towards Dominic Maestro’s, shaking her head and muttering to no one in particular, “Poor girl, she’s gone mental.”

Reyna whirled around to face Thalia, startling her. Their faces ended up so close together that they nearly bumped noses. “I must be mad,” she breathed. “Just look at the friends I keep.” Impulsively, she brushed her lips over Thalia’s cheek, then turned away and darted into the music shop. 

When Reyna pulled herself out of the pleasant memory, she found that Frank and Thalia were engaged in an animated conversation comparing broom manufacturers. Jason was as distracted as she had been, glancing nervously at the pretty Ravenclaw prefect. Reyna was just about to encourage him to make his move, when someone ran over to their table in a panic.

“Thalia!” It was Bianca, one of Thalia’s roommates, looking frantic.

“Bianca? What is it?”

“Nico. He’s in trouble!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger, folks! Next chapter should be ready soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on [tumblr](http://goodforharpies.tumblr.com)


End file.
